Horses need their hooves to be trimmed every 6-8 weeks. If you ride your horse, he will also need shoes. Shoes keep the hoof from cracking and splitting when the horse is ridden. If you only ride in soft dirt, then it might be okay to go without shoes. I strongly suggest that you use shoes, though. There are different types of shoes available for horses with problems or performance horses. Also, there are different types of shoes for different events. Whether you shoe or you don't, you will need a farrier to at least trim the feet.

Also, horses need their hooves picked out and cared for. Remember the saying: "No Hoof, No Horse".

FINDING A FARRIER:

Every horse owner will need a farrier. Even if you don't shoe your horses, they still need to be trimmed and if you're not experienced with trimming, you could easily make a mistake that might cost you more than a farrier's bill. You could injure your horse or yourself. Here are some places to look for a farrier:

• You could call your vet, he/she might know of one.
• Tack shops and feed stores often have a bulletin board with all sorts of animal ads and stuff. Usually there will be some farrier's business cards tacked up.
• If you have a friend that has horses, they will probably know of a good farrier.
• You can call a breeding farm or horse ranch in your area and ask who their shoer is.
• You can try the phonebook. Look under 'horse shoers'.

SIGNS OF A GOOD FARRIER

• Ask him how he learned about horse shoeing. Get a farrier that went to farrier school, or studied farrier science. He's bound to know more and do a better job than the guy that taught himself.
• See how he behaves around horses. He shouldn't be too rough,and he shouldn't hit the horse for no reason, and he shouldn't be afraid of them. He should be calm, and have a confident attitude but show caution all the time around the horses.
• AND MOST IMPORTANT..... ..he should be able to put shoes on correctly! He should shape the shoe to the hoof, not the hoof to the shoe. When he is done, the hooves should look neat, and not too long or too short.

Types of Shoeing

There are 2 types of shoeing. Hot shoeing and cold shoeing. Farriers that do hot shoeing first heat the shoe until it is very hot, then mold it and pound it on an anvil until it's shaped like the hoof. They have to make the nail holes in the shoe themselves, and then they have to cool the shoe in water or on the ground before they put it on the hoof.
Cold shoers take regular shoes and set them against the hoof. Then they will put the shoe on an anvil, and use a heavy hammer to shape the shoe to the horse's hoof. Then the hoof will be nailed to the shoe. Both of these methods are great, but hot shoeing may cost more time and money.

Types of Shoes

There are different types of shoes available with different weights, sizes, and shapes. Usually the regular shoe your farrier uses will be fine. Special shoes are only needed for horses with problems or horses that compete in some events. For example:

• Tennessee Walkers need a special shoe that is really thick and weights alot in order to make them step high.
• Reining horses need hind shoes that have just a little bit of shoe sticking out behind the heel, to help them do smooth sliding stops.
• Racehorses need really light shoes so that they can run faster.
• Barrel Racing horses need light shoes like racehorses to help them to go faster. Some, if they have trouble getting a grip, wear shoes that are light but keep the horse from slipping.
• Horses recovering from laminitis (founder) may need special shoes to support their weight & keep pressure off of the coffin bone.

Talk to your farrier about what kind of shoes to use. Regular shoes work great, and are probably all that you will need.

Hoof pads and special shoes are available for lame horses or horses with tender feet. Leather hoof pads are preferred over plastic, because plastic makes the hoof sweat and sometimes irritates the horse. If you use hoof pads, you need to make sure that dirt cannot get between the hoof and the pad and cause lameness. Ask your farrier about this if you use hoof pads.

Hoof Care

Just like your horse needs to be brushed regularly, his hooves also must be picked. Hoof picks are inexpensive and are a necessity for the horse owner. Regular iron picks are great, and will fit in small spaces, such as hoof pick holders on a saddle. Plastic picks will sometimes break and do not do as good a job as iron. Hard plastic-bodied picks with a metal picker and a stiff hoof brush are a bit bulkier, but also go a good job. There are some pocket knives that come with hoof picks attached, and these are very good for the horse owner to keep. Pocket knives themselves can be used in an emergency to pick hooves or do a number of tasks, such as free a horse from tangled rope, open bales of hay, or even perform an emergency tracheotomy. One hoof pick probably won't be enough; buy a few to keep around the barn, tack room, one or two to keep in saddle bags, etc.

Although it's not absolutely necessary, hoof moisturizers can help your horse's hooves. If your horse has dry, cracked, or flaky feet applying moisturizers every day can help. Most hoof moisturizers are also good for human hands, so you both benefit from it! Some types, like those that contain Pine Tar may not be good for hands. They stink and stick to you.

Hoof supplements are a good addition to your horse's diet if he/she has very poor feet and looses shoes often. Talk to your vet about what brand to use, and be sure to follow the directions on the bucket/bag or whatever it comes in. Alot come in buckets with little scoops, and you add a scoop to your horse's grain. Hoof supplements may increase hoof hardness and improve your horse's hoof condition.